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Kyrgyz parliamentary election
October 4, 2020
Several opposition parties called on the government to postpone the election due to the COVID-19 pandemic prior to the campaign period in September.
During the elections, several parties were accused of buying votes. Several journalists also reported that they had been harassed or attacked.
Preliminary results
Due to party infighting between supporters of current President Sooronbay Jeenbekov and former President Almazbek Atambayev, the governing Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan did not contest the election, and new parties split off and ran in their stead: the pro-Jeenbekov Unity, and the pro-Atambayev Social Democrats of Kyrgyzstan. Ata-Zhurt, which had previously split with the Respublika Party of Kyrgyzstan, partnered up with My Homeland Kyrgyzstan.
Unity received a plurality of votes, just beating out the Ata-Zhurt–My Homeland Kyrgyzstan alliance by under one percent, and received 46 seats. Ata-Zhurt–My Homeland Kyrgyzstan received 45 seats, while other parties lagged behind. The Kyrgyzstan Party received 16 seats, while United Kyrgyzstan entered parliament for the first time with 13. Several other parties failed to meet the 7% threshold.
The Ata Meken Socialist Party and the Social Democrats both disputed the results, and staged a brief protest in Bishkek. One other party also disputed the result.
Out of the parties that made it into parliament, only United Kyrgyzstan consistently opposes the incumbent government led by President Jeenbekov.
Sources and further reading:
Kyrgyz Opposition Decries Mass Irregularities In Parliamentary Elections
Statement on the Parliamentary Elections in the Kyrgyz Republic
https://kg.usembassy.gov/statement-on-the-parliamentary-elections-in-the-kyrgyzstan-republic/
Kyrgyzstan goes to polls amid vote-buying fears
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2020/10/05/2003744636
